One thus far known possibility of transmitting video signals and audio signals through communication networks is transmission by means of a videophone. The picture recording device as well as the picture reproduction device and the sound recording device as well as the sound reproduction device are integrated in this particular instance into one terminal ("Telefonieren yon Angesicht zu Angesicht"; Kommunkationstechnik von SEL; SEL Alcatel Group; pp. 1-8). This means that already existing devices may not be utilized for this purpose, but all devices must be procured anew.
An additional device with telephone function characteristics is required to establish the connection and dial a subscriber. An analog interface is required by the end user, and a digital interface is in addition required in the network. A video phone thus represents a quite complicated and expensive method of transmitting video signals (J. Huelamo, H.-J. Mosel, C. Ravelli, M. Weiss, "End User Premises Equipment and Terminals for Broadband Application," Electrical Communication, Volume 64, Number 2/3; 1990, pages 205 to 217).
Another known device for transmitting video signals and audio signals is a multimedia terminal. Multimedia functions may only be initiated by special terminals, namely such terminals which connect broadband communication with existing "workstations," personal computers or video devices. However, this device also represents a more complicated solution than the device according to the invention because a special Multimedia Communication Processing and Representation [MCPR]) is in this particular instance used in addition to a terminal adapter with a broadband-ATM (Analogous Transfer Mode)-multiplex-adapter (J. Huelamo, H.-J. Mosel, C. Ravelli, M. Weiss, "End User Premises Equipment and Terminals for Broadband Applications," Electrical Communication, Volume 64, Number 2/3; 1990, pages 205 to 217).